The Public Theater News

Jeffery Roberson, better known on stage and screen as his drag icon alter-ego Varla Jean Merman, will appear at London's Leicester Square Theatre in her hit comedy show "The Book of Merman" September 19 - 21. She is joined on a double-bill by fast-rising Well-Strung, the Singing String Quartet who've just had two recent hit Off-Broadway productions in New York and their first album released this year. Like Varla, they are just off of summer-long runs at Provincetown's prestigious Art House Theatre. The evening is directed by Donna Drake (original cast member of A Chorus Line!) For information, please visit http://www.leicestersquaretheatre.com/.

Dance returns to the Delacorte in a preview of City Center's Fall For Dance Festival.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) will kick off the fourth season ofPUBLIC FORUM with the new series Drama Club, a book club for plays that will feature one-night-only readings and discussions of works by Kia Corthron, Tony Kushner, and Thornton Wilder at Joe's Pub. Curated by Jeremy McCarter, the popular PUBLIC FORUM series presents the theater of ideas: conversations and performances with leading voices in politics, media, and the arts.

Japan Society welcomes renowned puppet artist Basil Twist with the return of his critically acclaimed, award-winning Dogugaeshi as Japan Society's Performing Arts Program commences its 60th Anniversary season: Japan, the U.S. & Beyond!. A limited engagement, 7 performances only, plays today, September 18-22 at Japan Society (333 East 47th Street).

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) announced a one week extension today for the world premiere of Elevator Repair Service's ARGUENDO, directed by John Collins. ARGUENDO began performances on Tuesday, September 10, and was originally scheduled to close on Sunday, October 6. It will now run an additional week through Sunday, October 13 with an official press opening on Tuesday, September 24.

TACT/The Actors Company Theatre presents Natural Affection by William Inge, the first production of the company's 21st Season. Directed by TACT Co-Artistic Director Jenn Thompson, performances begin at Theatre Row's Beckett Theatre (410 West 42nd Street - between 9th & 10th Avenues) tonight, September 17, 2013. Opening night is set for Thursday, September 26 at 7:30pm. Performances will continue through October 26, 2013.

'Humor Abuse,' the hilarious and heartfelt story of growing up in a circus, created by Lorenzo Pisoni and Erica Schmidt, directed by Schmidt and featuring a tour de force performance by Pisoni, will be presented at the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum, today, September 17 through November 3, 2013. The opening is set for September 21. Get a first look at Pisoni onstage below!

Due to critical acclaim and popular demand, Playwrights Horizons has announced an extension of its New York premiere production of MR. BURNS, A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY, a new play by Anne Washburn, with music by Obie Award winner Michael Friedman. Directed by Steve Cosson, the Obie Award-winning Artistic Director of The Civilians, MR. BURNS is being presented as the first production of Playwrights Horizons' 2013/2014 Season.

This week at Joe's Pub at The Public, September 16-22, features performances by ELVIRA KURT IN WORD*ROCK*&SWORD WOMEN OF COMEDY, MEN IN BLAZERS, JANN KLOSE / BARNABY BRIGHT, JOEY ARIAS, JUSTIN VIVIAN BOND, and STARSKY + COX.

Producer Cedric Yau has announced that James Seol will step into the 17 roles originated by Jimmy Ray Bennett in Around the World in 80 Days, beginning Tuesday, September 17th. Bennett's last performance will be Sunday, September 15th­ at 7pm. Guy LeMonnier heads the cast as the phlegmatic Phileas Fogg, with Shirine Babb, Matt Lutz, and Gary Littman rounding out the ensemble cast. Rachel Klein directs.

For the first and only time, Sting will perform songs from his new album, The Last Ship, over 10 concerts to benefit The Public Theater. The Public will offer a limited number of FREE tickets via a lottery system for AN EVENING WITH STING, September 25 through October 9 at 8:00 p.m., in The Public's intimate 260-seat Anspacher Theater.

The Vagrancy is honored to bring you the West Coast Premiere of BOTTOM OF THE WORLD by Lucy Thurber. This poignant, quirky, emotional drama unfolds around a young woman dealing with her sister's sudden death. This life-affirming piece, helmed by Director Sabina Ptasznik, flashes back to 1910 Appalachia accompanied by live bluegrass band, Blue Bird Bandits. BOTTOM OF THE WORLD elicits a heartfelt look at the various characters' struggle through loss and longing, while striving for human connection. Ptasznik says, 'This is the kind of show that asks you to abandon your perception of what love is. It is my hope that someone who sees the show is inspired to question what people in their lives mean in simple, yet unconventional, ways. This show is a return to simplicity in complicated, heavy times.'After the play patrons are welcome to a VAGRANT HOOTENANNY hosted by Blue Bird Bandits. Fun, dancing and moonshine guaranteed. Playwright Lucy Thurber's THE HILL TOWN PLAYS, a 5-play cycle, currently plays in 4 venues all across New York City. BOTTOM OF THE WORLD opens at The Lounge Theatres and runs October 12th - November 3rd.

New York Madness (NYM) is about to start its Fourth Season. With a focus on emerging writers, NYM hosts a hot night of short plays based on a theme proposed by the more established Featured Guest. The Theme is announced one week prior to the event.

The Old Globe today announced the complete cast and creative team for the World Premiere comedy The Few by award-winning playwright Samuel D. Hunter (The Whale). Directed by Davis McCallum, The Few will run Sept. 28 - Oct. 27, 2013 in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Preview performances run Sept. 28 - Oct. 2. Opening night is Thursday, Oct. 3 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park.

Single tickets go on sale today, September 13, for Theatre for a New Audience's inaugural production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by multiple Tony Award-winner Julie Taymor with original music composed by Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning Elliot Goldenthal, at the Theatre's newly-named building, Polonsky Shakespeare Center, 262 Ashland Place between Lafayette Avenue and Fulton Street, Brooklyn.

Dallas Theater Center launches its 2013-14 season with A Raisin in the Sun. Tre Garrett of Fort Worth's Jubilee Theatre will make his directorial debut at DTC with this Tony Award-winning play. A Raisin in the Sun begins with a Pay-What-You-Can performance tonight, September 13 and runs through Sunday, October 27 at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre in the AT&T Performing Arts Center.

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University welcomes three-time Emmy Award-winning actor Bryan Cranston to play the lead role of Lyndon Baines Johnson in Robert Schenkkan's new play All The Way opening the A.R.T.'s 2013-14 Season at the Loeb Drama Center. The production, directed by Bill Rauch, will begin performances tonight, September 13, 2013.

The Public Theater presents the world premiere of Elevator Repair Service's ARGUENDO, directed by John Collins. The production, featuring Maggie Hoffman, Mike Iveson, Vin Knight, Susie Sokol, and Ben Williams, will run through Sunday, October 6, with an official press opening on Tuesday, September 24. Check out a first look at the cast in action below!

BroadwayWorld.com is very excited to announce that we will be returning to Joe's Pub at the Public Theater in 2014, kicking off a year-long celebration of the community and our 10th anniversary with regularly scheduled concerts, live streams and special events in a BIG way. The concert series will launch on January 20, 2014 with BROADWAYWORLD VISITS OZ, directed by Richard Jay-Alexander and with music direction by Mary-Mitchell Campbell. Tickets will go on sale on October 15, 2013 at 1pm. Below, watch a VERY special 10th Anniversary look back at the site's original concert series.